Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

While on vacation, a just-divorced writer buys a villa in Tuscany on a whim, hoping it will be the start of a change for the better in her life.

Director:

Audrey Wells

Writers:

Frances Mayes (book), Audrey Wells (screen story),

Stars:

Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diane Lane	...	Frances
Sandra Oh	...	Patti
Lindsay Duncan	...	Katherine
Raoul Bova	...	Marcello
Vincent Riotta	...	Martini
Mario Monicelli	...	Old Man with Flowers
Roberto Nobile	...	Placido
Anita Zagaria	...	Fiorella
Evelina Gori	...	Nona Cardinale
Giulia Steigerwalt	...	Chiara
Pawel Szajda	...	Pawel
Valentine Pelka	...	Jerzy
Sasa Vulicevic	...	Zbignew
Massimo Sarchielli	...	Nino
Claudia Gerini	...	Signora Raguzzi

Storyline

After Frances's seemingly happy San Francisco marriage ends abruptly, she goes into a funk. Urged by her friends to move on, she joins a bus tour of Tuscany where, on the spur of the moment, she buys a crumbling villa. She assembles a crew of oddballs and immigrants to repair the house; over the next year, as they work, she welcomes one of her San Francisco friends who's pregnant and at loose ends, and she seeks love, first (tenuously) with her married real estate agent, then with a charming stranger. Although life gets in the way of love, Frances's wishes come true in unexpected ways, and there's always the Tuscan sun.

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Plot Keywords:

writer | love | villa | divorce | house | 

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Taglines:

Life offers you a thousand chances ... all you have to do is take one.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language

Details

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English Italian Polish French Spanish German

Release Date:

26 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bajo el sol de Toscana

Filming Locations:

Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£203,634 (UK) (26 March 2004)

Gross:

£440,167 (UK) (2 April 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Timnick Films, Blue Gardenia Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kate Walsh plays the significant other of Sandra Oh; both of whom star in Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Addison Shepherd and Dr. Christina Yang.

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Goofs

Before Francesca first kisses Marcello on the beach, a light sheet is visible reflected in her sunglasses.

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Quotes

Frances: This is really bad, isn't it?
Patti: Well, it's not good. Unless you want to give your ass a facial.
Frances: That's a contradiction in terms.
Patti: i guess it would be more like an Ass-cail

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Connections

Spoofs La Dolce Vita (1960)

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Soundtracks

"Il vecchiotto cerca moglie"
(from "Il barbiere di Siviglia" Act II No. 14: Berta's aria)
Music by Gioachino Rossini
Performed by Magyar Rádió Énekkara (as Hungarian Radio Chorus) (credited but not used) and the Failoni Kamerazenekar (as Failoni Chamber Orchestra)
Sung by Ingrid Kertesi (uncredited)
Courtesy of Naxos
By Arrangement with Source/Q

User Reviews

Lovely movie

This movie is wonderfully romantic. It is sweetly written and just a good girl movie. Any woman who has had any sadness in her life and needs a new start will appreciate this movie. The views are incredibly and makes you want to fly to Tuscany and live there forever! The characters are those that make you fall in love and you will relive moments in your life while watching this movie. I will say you need to be in a loving or romantic mood before watching this movie. It does take a few minutes to really get good but when it does, it's wonderful. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. A Walk in the Clouds with Keanu Reeves is also like this movie. It has the same romance and drama but is much sweeter.